Holdee



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HENRY BURKHOLDER, OF THEDFORD, ONTARIO, CANADA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,041, dated December 7,1886.

Application filed April 1856. Serial No. 190,?04. (No model.) Patented in Canada April 29, 1886, No. 23,938.

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that 1, WILLIAM HENRY BURK- HOLDER, of the village of Thedford, in the county of Lambton, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, minister of the Gospel, have in vented an Improved Automatic Car-Coupler, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to design a carcoupler which will couple automatically, and be easily adjusted vertically, so as to adapt it to any variation in the height of the two cars being coupled; and it consists, essentially, in a draw-head pivoted at its inner end to a bracket secured to the bottom timbers of the car, the said pivot being placed in a horizontal groove, so as to permit the longitudinal adjustment of the draw-head produced by the draft upon the draw-head or its compression, a suitable spiral spring being provided, as hereinafter specified. \Vithin the draw-head I provide a block or gate which will open upon the end of the link coming in contact with it, and fall within the link so as to form a drawpin for the coupler, suitable mechanism for adjusting the draw-head vertically being provided, also suitable mechanism for opening the block or gate without the necessity of going between the cars.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the end of a car with my improved automatic coupler attached. Fig. 2 isa longitudinal sec tion of same. I

A is a draw-head, having a slotted passage way, a, made through it. \Vithin this passageway the block or gate B is pivoted on the pin b, which is stationary and passes through a horizontal slot, (2, made in the gate B, so that any draft upon the gate B will draw the said gate against the end of the slotted passageway a, instead of upon the pin 1).

G is a rope or chain connected at one end to the top of the gate B, and after passing around the pulley-block D it is carried to the top of the car E, where it is secured by being twisted around the cleat F. The end of the draw-head A has a pivot-pin, e, which rests within a horizontal slot, f, formed on each side of the bracket G.

H is a spiral spring placed, as usual, to receive the draft and resist compression upon the draw-head. The draw-head being pivoted upon the pin 6, the said draw-head may be adjusted vertically, so as to accommodate it to any variation in the height of the two cars being coupled.

I is a forked bar, the ends of which are pivoted in brackets 9, attached to the top of the draw-head A. This bar I is provided with a rope or chain, J, which extends from it up to the top of the car E, where it passes over a pulley, K, and connects with the hand-lever L, which is pivoted on the top of the car, and is provided with an ordinary spring-catch, h, arranged to engage with the notches in the quadrant M. Consequently by moving the hand-lever L the end of the drawhead A may be raised or depressed according to the re quired height of the drawhead.

It will be seen that in the event of it being necessary to uncouple the car from its side, it is merely necessary to detach the rope G from the cleat F and throw it to the side of the car, where it will work equally as well.

I am aware that itis not new to pivot within arecess in a draw-head a hook to engage the link, and to provide said hook with a cord or chain by which said hook can be turned on its pivot to release the link, and I do not claim such construction as forming part of my in vention. I deem itimportant that the gate B be provided wit-h the elongated slot 11, whereby the said gate may slide in a horizontal plane, whereby the draft will draw said gate against the end of the passage-'way a and relieve the pin 2) of all strain.

What I claim as my invention is A draw-head, A, having a passageway, to, cut in it to receive the sliding gate B, which is pivoted on the pin 1), secured to the draw head and passing through an elongated slot, d, made in the gate, in combination with said sliding gate, and the rope 0, connected to the gate B and passing around the pulley-block D, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

Toronto, April 9, 1886.

WILLIAM llEi'ilY BURKIIOLDER I11 presence of- CHAS. O. BALDWIN, CHARLES H. Biol-Ins. 

